THE HOSPITAL.

Colonist, Volume LVIII, Issue 14483, 15 August 1917, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE HOSPITAL.

jCFrwn "The Colonist/ 'August 10th.) One's first feeling on readkig tie re. port of the meeting of the Hospital Board held on Wednesday to determine a course of action in regard to the new Hospital is one of keen disappointment. Since tie beginning of 1914 this project has been before tho public, and for two and a half years the only ob. stacle to a practical beginning being made, was- the obstinacy and ojbtnseness of. the Board, as it'was then constituted, on the question of the Government subsidy on Mr. Cawthron's gift of _£15,000. But for the Board's ■unhappy delusion that tie Government promised something ij> never did promise, the new building would now have been nearhig completion, .and Mr Cawthron's gift aird the sxibsidy—together amounting to £33,000—would have sufficed or very nearly sufficed to cover the entire cost. The electors teok steps to terminate the deadlock between the Board and the Government last April, when the city and Richmond members retired, by returning new members who wore pledged, firstly, to endeavour to arrive at a satisfactory arrangemont regarding the subsidy, and then to approach the question of building in a businesslike way. Their first obligation has been discharged with ontiro success, and they rave had'the united support of the other members of the Board, in which a new atmosphere seems to have been created. Tho Minister of Internal Affairs proved quite ready, as we were sure he would, to renew his former promise that the subsidy would be paid wren the Board had expended its own funds. Tho question then became one of carrying out the plans already prepared, bufr here the wasted two years had created difficulties winch could not be so easily overcome. The building which was estimated to cost £33,000 two years ago "would cost

£40,000 to-day; when erected'it must be furnished at an additional cost of £3000, and on top of this there are other charges bringing ' the total to £45,000. To meet this there is something over v £33,000 in sight. If the building was to be gone oh with at once tie balance cf the cost, or interest and (sinking fund on the amount, must be levied upon the contributing districts in the way that the Hospital Board is in the habit of obtaining its funds for ordinary purposes. The prosent ie admittedly not an opportune time for imposing additional burdens upon ratepayers. Alternative courses were to cut down the building to suit the funds available, or to defer the whole project for the present for further consideration. The original plans, have been revised before and the building cheapened in various ways, and further cutting down could not be undertaken without seriously prejudicing the value and design of the institution. As regards the second alternative, it is by no means clear that building construction will be cheaper in the reasonably near future than it is now, and it may still furtter advance. Faced with these considerations the Board negatived a proposal to invite tenders forthwith for the erection of the building in accordance with the existing plans, and a further proposal to modify the plans to^ bring 'the cost within £33,000. It came to no other decision, and tre way is therefore open for consideration of any new proposal that may be brought forward. There is no question of shelving the undertaking indefinitely, and there is no reason to fear that difficulties relating to the gift or the subsidy will arise as a result of further delay. Both, wo understand, are entirely'secure. In view of all the circumstances, we agree .ttat the Board is taking a proper course in declining to commit itself to immediate action, j and we see no justification for charging it with unnecessarily adding to tho chapters of delay which have so exasperated the public. We have less hesitation in counselling patience on the public's part because it is within otir knowledge that developments are" not improbable whicb may change the position radically. These are concerned mainly with tho matter of the site of, the new Hospital. The site of the present institution is by no means an! ideal one, and if a Better location can be secured it should obviously be done before a building intended to serve its purpose for generations to come is proceeded with. There also arises in this1 connection tho problem of carrying on the present Hospital during tie building of the new one over the same site. It is possible, of course, by taking the contract in sections, but we -should imagine that organisation and J tie comfort of the patients would be i grievously disturbed in the process. It is no secret that the question of extensive alterations to the Mental Hospital has been engaging the attention of tte authorities for some time, and we published the other day the report of the Inspector-General of Mental Hospitals, which showed ■ that the matter of effecting improvements is becoming one of urgency. A proposal to dispose of the present General Hospital site and the buildings thereon to the Government for mental lospital purposes has been broached, and we know that the Inspector-General has intimated that the Department would be prepared to take over the whole property in the event of the Hospital j Board deciding to erect tre new Hospital elsewhere. The subject is in an inchoate stage as yet, but the fact that such a consideration has arisen indicates the Wisdom of proceeding cautiously. As for other sites, several have been suggested, each posses-sing its advantages. Wo believe that the Board would not find it impossible or even difficult to obtain a site in every way more suitable for Hospital purposes than tie present position in Waimea road, and there are possibilities j in a transaction of this nature which j entitle it to the most careful consideration.